Page 20 of Knock Me Up

“I’ve only been in a relationship with Piper since after we broke up, Ophelia. I’m no cheater.”

She stamps her feet. “Yes you are! You’re going behind my back with this... this... whore!”

“Hey!” Luke shouts back. “You don’t talk about my wife like that!”

“Your wife?”

I flash my wedding ring in her direction. It is the one that was meant for her, and I’m taking an odd bit of joy in seeing her melt down.

“Wait, I recognize you.” Ophelia narrows her eyes in my direction, then they widen to saucers as she looks back at Luke. “You married the help? The flower girl?”

“Yes. I married our florist. And even though I’ve been with her for less than a week, I’ve already had more happiness with her than I believe I’d have with you in a lifetime.”

She’s both stunned into silence and absolutely apoplectic.

“We’re done, Ophelia. And we should have been done long ago. Piper is my true love, and I’ve never been more certain of that. We’re married, and we’re already working on starting the family you would never give me. Hopefully, I’ve already gone and knocked her up.”

Luke tickles my chin to guide me into a kiss. I happily oblige. One, because I can’t refuse him. And two? I enjoy helping him twist the knife that he’s deservedly stabbed into Ophelia’s ego.

Unable to take any more, and after half a dozen failed attempts to say anything at all, Ophelia finally gives up and storms off, leaving me and my husband alone.

My husband.

It’s still weird to think of him like that. A week ago? I was a lonely career woman, desperate to find a man worthy of starting a family with.

And now I have him.

We kiss again. Then he lets out a sigh. “Do you have some time, or do you need to get to the shop right now? We should talk.”

“Uh... let me call Olivia to see if she can cover for me.”

“Your friend works for you?”

“No, but she can run a register. She’s covered for me on the rare occasion when I’ve gone on vacation.”

I dial up Olivia, but there’s a worry nagging at me that the conversation Luke wants to have won’t be a happy one.

Everything’s been so perfect. Utterly saccharine.

I’m well overdue for something going wrong.

8

LUKE

Ipace about my kitchen, thinking deeply. When I turn to Piper, I see that her expression is dour and full of worry.

“What’s the matter?” I ask.

“What is so important that you need to delay me going to work?”

I laugh. “I said it could wait if you had to go.”

“I’d be anxious over what you wanted to talk about all day. I'd rather just get it over with.”

My laugh grows heartier. “Do you think I want to talk to you about some bad news?”

“I’m expecting something to go wrong, Luke.”

---